


My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

by CalligraphyScroll (Birbliophile)



Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, Not Beta Read, Retelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28513179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birbliophile/pseuds/CalligraphyScroll
Summary: A retelling of Equestria Girls with some alterations to the setting and characters.When Princess Twilight Sparkle's crown is stolen by the mysterious Sunset Shimmer, she will have to embark on a journey to another world that is very different from the one she knows, but luckily, she'll have some help from a cast of faces both new and old.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 4





	1. The Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the eve of her first summit as a Princess of Equestria, a young mare named Twilight Sparkle finds herself caught up in a story that will alter the course of the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed the EQG movies as a kid, but recently I was thinking about how loose it plays with the lore and established plot elements (like the entire city of Canterlot becoming a high school with basically-goddess Celestia as a principal) and I wanted to explore something a little different with this project. It's...gonna get complicated.

“-Twilight? Twilight!” called a voice from somewhere to her left. Twilight startled, throwing her wings out to steady herself as she pitched forward, narrowly avoiding what would be an unpleasantly cold discovery of what the ground tasted like. 

“H-huh? Oh, whoops! What was that?” 

“Applejack was asking if you were excited for tomorrow. You haven’t talked about it much the whole ride over,” Rainbow Dash clarified from above. She swooped down, landing next to Twilight and bumping her shoulder with a grin. “But come on, you’re just speechless about it yeah? I know I’m pumped! Your first princess summit? It’s totally awesome!”

Twilight smiled. “It is, isn’t it? And yeah, very excited. Truly, I mean it.”

Applejack tilted her head to the side. “You sure, sugarcube? We don’t mean to put any pressure on ya, if it’s too much we don’t have to bring it up now.” Twilight blinked before stammering over her words. 

“Oh, no no no I really _am_ happy to be here, it’s just...to be honest I’m both excited _and_ a little nervous too.”

“You’re nervicited!” chimed Pinkie. “It’s your first big appearance as a princess of Equestria since the coronation, so you wanna celebrate it with a biiiiig cheer, but at the same time you’re kinda overwhelmed by all the fanfare and attention and wanna just run away and curl up and hide!” 

Before Twilight could confirm or deny Pinkie quickly threw her hooves around her and squeezed tight. “It’s okay Twilight, we’re all here for you!” Behind her, Fluttershy nodded in affirmation. 

“I know I’m always thankful that you’re all with me when scary things happen,” she said. “We’ll be right here if things are too much.”

“Aw, thanks girls,” Twilight said once Pinkie released her from that choking hug grip. “You’re all the best!” 

“Everything’s gonna be just fi-”

“LAAAADIES!” Rarity’s voice rang out in the square, prompting Applejack to sigh at the interruption. “We said we’d meet the princesses promptly at six thirty, hurry up now!” 

Twilight and the girls lifted their luggage onto the cart they’d brought and trotted to catch up to Rarity. After a moment though, she felt a strange gaze on her back. Rarity was staring intently at her forehead with a concerned expression. 

“Twilight dear, why haven’t you put on your crown yet?”

“Oh...I don’t really feel comfortable wearing it out in public right now, sorry to disappoint,” she answered sheepishly. “I just feel kind of self conscious with it on. It draws a lot of attention.”

“As if the wings and horn don’t,” Rainbow remarked. 

“Well, I’m hardly used to that either!” Twilight flapped her wings for emphasis, nearly knocking herself over for the third time that day. “Augh! See?” 

“Oh come on now dear,” Rarity said incredulously. “You’re a princess now! I bet you’d get used to it a lot faster if you wore the crown more often. And it goes so well with the dresses I made for the occasion, particularly the evening gown with the sequined bodice and violet ribbons-”

As Rarity lost herself in a tangent of fashion related musings, Twilight focused on the cobblestones under her hooves, feeling a flicker of dread at the edge of her consciousness. 

_I really hope I don’t mess this up_. 

* * *

As they approached the gates, the guards on duty bowed their heads nearly to the ground. Rarity gently nudged a hesitant Twilight to the front of their group. 

“Um. Hello.” 

“Your majesty, welcome to the Crystal Palace,” one of the guards said to Twilight, who startled at the title. “Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Mi Amore Cadenza will receive you in the throne room.”

“Oh, uh...thanks,” said Twilight hesitantly. “Should we drop off our luggage first though?”

“No need for that, your majesty,” the other guard said. “Private Sentry and Private Weatherwing will escort your entourage while your luggage is delivered to your rooms.”

Two pegasus guards stepped forward and bowed their heads to the group. “If you would, Princess,” the orange one said. 

“Oh...okay then. Ah, lead the way, good soldiers!” Twilight nearly slapped herself in embarrassment. What was she thinking?

The guards didn’t seem to be that perturbed though, taking her awkward declaration as a serious order. As the party entered the castle, Twilight saw Rarity wink at a guard out of the corner of her eye, with Pinkie giggling at the sight and Applejack rolling her eyes. At least somepony was enjoying herself, Twilight figured. 

As soon as the doors opened and Twilight spotted Cadance, she wanted to run all the way across the room and hug her. But just as she lifted a hoof excitedly, she heard the trumpet fanfare and stepped back. 

A princess did not run and jump around. A princess was composed and proper. Twilight was a princess now. And so she cautiously walked past the line of guards to meet the other alicorns near the crystal throne. 

“Twilight! So lovely to see you,” Cadance smiled warmly, tucking a wing around Twilight’s shoulders. Twilight finally relaxed into the embrace, nuzzling Cadance’s shoulder. “We haven’t seen you since the coronation! There’s so much to discuss!”

“You make it sound like she’s been gone for ages, Cadenza,” Princess Celestia chuckled, “It’s only been a few weeks. I trust you’ve all been well though?”

“You betcha Princess! Like a crocodile covered in cotton candy!” Pinkie said, tail bouncing up and down. 

“Wonderful, Pinkie Pie,” the Princess said. “Now, I’m sure we’d all love to catch up, but you’ve had a long day of traveling. Dinner and bed first, all of you.” 

Twilight was happy to avoid further discussion of the upcoming week of activities, and didn’t say much through dinner, content to let Pinkie Pie and Rarity’s friendly argument on how best to decorate a cake for your cousin’s friend’s brother’s fiancé’s twenty-sixth overcoming-your-fear-of-sharks anniversary party wash around her as gentle laughter decorated the dining hall. 

Later in her room however, as she and Spike unpacked their things, Twilight had the misfortune of opening her saddlebag first, exposing her crown. 

Biting her lip, Twilight glanced at the mirror before lifting the crown out and setting it over her bangs. It wasn’t a new sensation, really - she’d worn it multiple times when they had used the Elements together. But now the tiara felt heavy and awkward on her forehead, as if it was crushing her with a mysterious new weight. The pony in the mirror didn’t look like a princess. Just a little foal playing dress up. 

“You okay?” 

Twilight sighed. “Not really.”

Spike walked over and put a claw on her shoulder, his gaze patient and soft. 

“A Princess isn’t just somepony who has wings and a crown.” Twilight said softly. “A Princess is a protector. A symbol. A leader of a whole kingdom! I’ll have to be all that too, won’t I?”

“I dunno, but it would be pretty awesome!” Spike exclaimed. Seeing Twilight’s grimace, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “I mean...that does sound kinda intimidating.”

Twilight nodded. 

“But,” he continued, “Princess Celestia wouldn’t have made you a princess if she didn’t think you were fit for the job. All parts of it. And you trust her, right?”

“Well yeah but...what if she made a mistake? I mean come on Spike, me leading a kingdom?”

“Hey! I wouldn’t sweat it too much. Besides, are you really going to say that _Princess Celestia_ made a mistake?” 

Twilight had to smile at that. “I guess you’ve got a point.”

“Course I do!” Spike thumped his chest proudly. “You’ll do great Twilight, I believe in you.”

Twilight nuzzled him gently. “Thanks, ace assistant.”

Spike grinned. “Now let’s get some shut eye, big day tomorrow.”

Twilight nodded and set her crown on the bedside table before climbing under the covers. Everything was going to be fine, just like everyone said. She could relax for now.

She did have to shuffle around a little after feeling her wings crumpling under her back though. That was unpleasant. 

* * *

In the dead of the night, the door to a previously locked chamber quietly swung open in the Crystal Palace. 

A cloaked figure delicately stepped out, nearly tripping over her own hooves. She clicked her tongue irritably - it had been years since she had moved in this manner. 

The pony raised her head and looked around. This castle was unfamiliar. But the location spell she cast identified her target as somewhere above her. She could work with that. 

She felt the magic of this world at the edge of her mind, a bright light in her core. The invisibility spell came easily, washing over her in a wave so acute that she stifled a gasp. She had nearly forgotten what it was like to be so in tune with the energy that flowed throughout the universe. To feel the true extent of her own power in every cell of her body. Something indescribable tugged sharp and painful in her chest, and she ignored it.

Teleportation would be noisy. So she silently trotted towards the stairway, staying still when a guard patrol passed her. 

Reaching the end of a long hallway of doors, she could sense her prize behind the last one, tantalizingly close. 

There were guards on either side of the door. No matter. A flash of red and they were far away in dreamland, slumped on the cold floor like sacks of potatoes.

It was really quite convenient that the royal staff kept the doors in such good condition. Not even a squeak. 

The pony crept past the basket with the sleeping dragon and fixated her eyes on her treasure. 

Lovely. So lovely. And the power it held...oh she could nearly taste it. Quickly, she lifted the fake from her bag and moved it towards the table, almost too hastily - she mentally cursed herself for nearly letting that vase fall to the ground. 

But then the switch was done, and it was hers. How tempting it was to put it on right away, but that would come soon enough. 

She exited the room and carefully closed the door without a sound. A success!

With a soft chuckle under her breath, the pony turned to retrace her steps, glorious visions dancing in her head. It was too bad she wouldn’t be able to see the look on that stupid filly’s face when-

SLAM!

She ran face first into something fluffy and pink and...covered with frosting?

The curly haired pony sprawled on top of her shook her head in confusion amidst broken shards of plates and ruined cupcakes. “What in the name of SPRINKLES? Who’re YOU?!” 

Panic jolted up her spine - the crash must have disturbed the cloaking spell! The pony leapt to her feet, the hood flying back as she took off. 

* * *

  
  


Twilight was having a rather pleasant dream about chemical equilibrium when she was rudely ripped from the fantasy by a loud crash, followed by smaller but still pretty loud secondary crashes and the loud voice of Pinkie Pie. 

“Hey wait! That’s Twilight’s! Stop!”

What?! 

Twilight turned to see her crown, sitting where she had left it. But when she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, the deception became clear.

“My crown!”

Twilight leapt out of bed, throwing open the doors with a bang. Behind her, Spike jolted up, rubbing his eyes and glancing blindly around in confusion. 

Twilight saw Pinkie leap after a cloaked figure, a red mane blowing back as the thief evaded Pinkie’s attempt to tackle them. The rest of the girls poked their heads out of their rooms with cranky expressions on their faces. 

“She’s got the crown!” Pinkie yelled, and everyone gasped in horror. 

Twilight leapt over a pile of shattered frosting covered plates, teleporting herself in front of the thief.

“Stop right there!”

The thief, a unicorn mare with a goldenrod coat and teal eyes, scoffed and raised her head, teleporting away with a red flash.

“Hey!” Twilight teleported forward again, causing the mare to roll her eyes and do the same.

After a few more rounds of this, the mare turned back and fired a rapid series of blasts at Twilight, forcing the alicorn to stop suddenly and raise a shield. 

“Is that all you’ve got?” Twilight called out.

The mare narrowed her eyes and raised her head a little higher. Before Twilight could react, a blast flew over her head and straight towards her friends, who were following in pursuit. 

“No!” Twilight twisted around sharply and teleported back, deflecting the bolt just in time before it scorched Rarity’s face, to the unicorn’s horror. 

“AAAAH!” Cried Spike.

“Oh my goodness!” Rarity ran a hoof through her mane shakily.

“Are you all okay?” Twilight asked.

“Nevermind that darling, she’s getting away!”

Twilight gasped and turned to see a door swinging back as the goldenrod mare disappeared into a large room. She teleported into it, prompting the thief to spin around and face her.

“Nowhere to run now, so you might as well give up, miss-uhhh...” Twilight started.

The thief frowned curiously. “You don’t know who I am?” Twilight blinked in bewilderment. 

“Um, should I?”

The goldenrod mare laughed bitterly, a sharp sound that ate away at Twilight’s bravado like acid. “You really don’t know? She didn’t-amazing. This is amazing.” 

Twilight faltered for a moment, but hearing her friends rush into the room behind her renewed her confidence. “What’s amazing will be your explanation for how you infiltrated a heavily guarded palace to steal my crown. Now give it back!”

The mare stared at Twilight, teal eyes seeming to burn into her own. Then she grinned in a most unsettling manner.

“I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m afraid I have more important things to attend to than a little girl playing princess.”

She hopped up to a tall decorative mirror, flicking her mane over her shoulder.

“Farewell, Twilight Sparkle.”

And she was gone.

“What in _tarnation_?”


	2. The Portal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Celestia lives up to her nickname as the Princess of Exposition.

Before anyone else could say a word, a clattering behind them alerted the mares to a pair of guards approaching quickly, followed by Princess Luna. 

“Twilight! Is everyone alright? Captain Thunderhoof said there was an intruder where your quarters were!”

“We’re all okay,” Twilight said, “But the intruder, she-“

“She DISAPPEARED!” cried Rainbow, pointing to the mirror. “Like, she walked right through the glass!” 

Luna looked nothing short of simply bewildered. “Come again?” 

Applejack cautiously approached the mirror, circling around the back. “There’s nothing here. Nowhere for her to have gone. I tell you, something strange is going on.”

Pinkie hopped up and sniffed the surface of the mirror. She reached out a hoof, but was promptly stopped by Rarity.

“I really wouldn’t do that darling,” she warned. “We don’t know if it’s dangerous!”

“It must be enchanted or something,” Twilight surmised. “Is she inside it? Or maybe she teleported somewhere…”

Luna frowned. “My sister gave Cadenza that mirror along with some other artifacts to keep just last week. I didn’t realize it was enchanted. Private Wellwish, would you please wake my sister and bring her here?”

“Of course your highness,” said the Crystal guard, disappearing down the hallway. 

A minute later, Princess Celestia entered the room, looking none the worse for wear despite having been woken at such an hour. Behind her was a significantly more bleary eyed Cadence.

“Tell me what happened,” Celestia said. 

Twilight took a deep breath. “Well I-“

“I got it!” Pinkie piped up.

“IwasgettingamidnightsnackandIcamebacktomyroomwithabunchofcupcakesandtheyweremostlychocolatebutonewasvanillaandIwasbalancingthemonmyhoovessoIcouldntreallyseeinfrontofmeandthensuddenlyIranintosomethingandtheplatesandcupcakesfleweverywhereandIwaslyingontopofsomeponyinacapeandsoIwaslikewho’reyoubuttheygotupandstartedrunningoffandthenIsawTwilight’scrownandIsaidheythat’snotyoursandtheneveryoneca-”

“Pinkie Pie!” 

“Whaaaat?

“You’re going way too fast” Twilight admonished. 

“We gotta move it along don’t we? She could have gone anywhere by now,” Rainbow pointed out. 

“She?” Cadance said curiously. “You say a mare came in, took your crown, and then disappeared into this mirror?”

“It...yeah.” Twilight said. “What does the mirror do? It’s enchanted, isn’t it?”

Celestia nodded, looking grave. “My teacher, Star Swirl, created it to contain a dimensional tear he found in our world many years ago.”

“A dimensional tear?” Luna frowned. “I don’t remember learning about that.”

“It was...after your banishment,” Celestia said. Everyone present suddenly looked away from Luna. The younger princess frowned. 

“Oh.”

“A tear in the world sounds really dangerous,” Fluttershy said. “Why did he decide to make it a mirror?”

“By transferring the tear to the structure of the enchanted mirror, he could control it, keep it from growing bigger and threatening to swallow parts of the world,” Celestia explained. “It’s stable now, but every seven years it opens to another world for one cycle of the moon, from new to full.”

“And tonight’s a new moon,” Luna said in understanding. “The intruder must have planned this thoroughly.”

“Another world?” Rarity’s eyes were wide. “What kind of world?”

“I do not know,” Celestia admitted. “There was a time when I would have investigated it myself but…” she had a faraway look in her eyes, then shook her head. “It was too dangerous. Not even Star Swirl dared to enter.”

“But who was that mare?” Asked Fluttershy. “What would somepony from a different world want with Twilight’s crown?”

Celestia was quiet for a moment. “She may not have been from that world.” 

“Huh?” Spike tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean, Princess?”

“What did she look like?” Celestia’s voice was hushed, her eyes distant, and Twilight thought she heard a quiver at the end of her sentence.” 

“Um…” Twilight was feeling increasingly concerned. “She was a goldenrod unicorn with a red and yellow mane, and uh, teal eyes.”

Celestia sighed. “Guards, will you excuse us for a moment?”

“Of course, your majesty.” 

Once they had left, Celestia turned back to the group.

“I’m sorry. I did not intend to lose my composure.”

“Sister, you...know this mare?” Luna asked tentatively. Cadance looked more alert now, glancing between her adoptive aunts curiously. 

“Yes,” Celestia said, her voice holding a strained edge to it. “Her name is Sunset Shimmer. She was a student of mine several years ago, a talented young unicorn with a bright future ahead of her.”

“...But?” Applejack prompted.

“But she was never satisfied. Her ambition was as strong as her skill, and she knew she was capable of great things. She coveted power, and demanded I give it to her. When she did not get what she desired, she turned to far less noble pursuits, becoming cruel and dishonest.”

“Geez,” Rainbow said, poking Twilight. “I’m glad you didn’t go evil with all the magic talent you’ve got.”

“I had hoped with time and patience she would come around,” Celestia continued, “But instead she decided to abandon her studies, and vanished through the mirror.” 

The princess walked up to the mirror. “When she vanished into the mirror all those years ago, I dared not follow. Instead I kept the mirror close by, and recently sent it here to the Crystal Kingdom for safekeeping. But she must have been watching this world somehow, learned of your coronation, and planned to steal the crown.” 

Spike held up the fake crown. “She left this in its place.”

Celestia bent down and gave it a once over. “I suppose she relied on no one noticing until it was too late to get the real crown back.”

She straightened up back to her full height. “The Element of Harmony is an artifact of great power. Whatever Sunset Shimmer wants with it, it cannot be good.”

Cadance frowned. “And without it, the rest of the Elements of Harmony won’t work. We’re down one of Equestria’s strongest defenses.” 

Luna turned to Twilight. “You must go and retrieve your crown before this...Sunset Shimmer can use it to harm anyone, in that world as well as ours. ”

“I understand,” Twilight said solemnly. 

“She isn’t going alone, is she?” Pinkie Pie asked. 

“No way!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, stepping up next to Twilight. “She goes, we go!”

“I’m afraid that isn’t safe,” Celestia said. “Remember, there are consequences of being in a world that isn’t yours. The balance of the two worlds is already threatened by Sunset Shimmer’s actions, and we do not wish to disrupt it further by sending too many ponies. This must be Twilight’s quest alone.”

Rainbow looked like she was going to argue, but after a moment chose to shut her mouth and pout instead. 

“We’ll help you get your things,” Applejack said gently. Twilight smiled gratefully. 

* * *

In Twilight’s room, her friends and Cadance helped her pack a saddlebag for the journey while Celestia and Luna stayed by the mirror to guard it.

“How long do you think it’ll be?” Asked Fluttershy.

“I...don’t know,” Twilight said hesitantly. “Might as well pack for a few days at least. A week?” 

Fluttershy frowned. “Would it take that long to find the crown?”

“If the other world is as big as Equestria, it might take longer,” Applejack pointed out. “She could have taken a balloon or a train and gotten miles away in a short time.” 

“That’s assuming there are balloons and trains there,” Rainbow pointed out. 

“Maybe ponies there ride metal birds and walk on their hind legs,” giggled Pinkie. 

“Girls, focus,” Cadance admonished. “Applejack’s right, Twilight shouldn’t go without enough supplies to last a week at least.” 

“Uh, Rarity? What are you doing?” Twilight said suddenly. Rarity looked up sheepishly from attempting to squash closed a suitcase stuffed to the brim with colorful fabric.

“Well dear, you never know when you’ll need something to wear when chasing down a crown thieving scoundrel in another world, I’m simply making sure you bring along the essentials,” she said plainly.

Twilight levitated one of the garments out of the pile. “The evening gown you made for tomorrow’s summit?” 

“If you can’t wear it to the party I want to know it’s seen some use,” the unicorn pouted. 

“Rarity…”

“All right, all right…” Rarity withdrew the shimmering gown. “At least take the overcoat if nothing else. It could be terribly frigid in that other world, and you can’t only be relying on thermal spells.” 

Twilight nodded. That, at least, was practical. 

After she secured her bags, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. It was Cadance, a concerned look on her face. 

“You know...one of us princesses could go in your place. You don’t have to do this.”

“But I do,” Twilight said. “It’s my crown, and you all have the Crystal Kingdom and Equestria to take care of.”

Cadance sighed. “I know. Just...be careful.” 

“I will.” 

* * *

Twilight stared at the smooth, reflective glass. Her saddlebags felt heavy on her back, but not as heavy as Celestia’s patient gaze at her side. 

“Are you ready?” asked her mentor.

She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes.” 

Princess Luna came up to her left. “You must take note of the time. When the moon is at its fullest, the portal will close for another seven years. You have about twenty-six days to locate your crown and bring it home.”

“I understand.” 

“We believe in you Twilight!” Applejack called out. The others made affirming sounds and cheered her name. 

“We’ll be here when you get back!”

“Go get that crown!”

“Show that pony that you don’t mess with Twilight Sparkle!”

“Watch out for anything scary!”

“Find out if ponies _do_ walk on their hind legs there!” 

Twilight smiled. “Thanks girls. I won’t let you down.” 

Cadance stepped forward and nuzzled her affectionately, wrapping a hoof around Twilight and squeezing gently. 

“Come home safe,” she whispered. 

Twilight couldn’t think of a good reply to that, so she squeezed back in response. 

Cadance moved back, and Twilight turned to the mirror. 

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, closing her eyes just before touching it. 

Where she would have expected to feel cold, hard glass against her nose was instead a rippling sensation, a bit like dipping one’s muzzle into a bowl of warm water. As she pushed forward, a tingling feeling spread across her body, and she opened her eyes for a split second to see what seemed like endless expanses of shimmering points of light, before falling face forward into the emptiness with a gasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, disclaimer: I remember the movies fondly but this story will have a LOT of narrative changes that I personally thought would be cool to explore. In this case, Twilight has one lunar month to get her crown back instead of three days, because I get to play around with the story more that way.


	3. The Transformation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twilight wakes up to find some...interesting changes have occurred.

Twilight felt as if she was being pulled apart at the seams, every part of her body being stretched and squeezed and prodded and pricked. Colors flashed in her vision, long cottony strands and puffs, some wavy and loose and some taut and tight, some cross crossing and some bleeding into others. She might have called it beautiful- if she weren’t struggling to breathe. She seemed to be floating with no particular direction, and was starting to panic. 

Suddenly, she noticed something off in the distance. It was as if someone had taken a large needle and pricked a hole in the air, the space around it pinched and distorted. Strands of wispy pink and purple clouds swirled around the hole in a tunnel like fashion, and when Twilight looked behind her she saw a similar hole surrounded by blue and gold. The holes themselves were filled with swirling white light, so bright it hurt to look at. 

Twilight swam through the space towards the one surrounded by pink and purple, feeling her throat constricting by the second. Just as she reached the edge she felt a strong pull, giving her pause. 

Suddenly something small slammed into her back and she opened her mouth in a silent scream as she lurched forward and was sucked into the portal. 

Her head then broke through something with a sensation not unlike surfacing after being underwater, lungs stinging sharply as she gasped, feeling them filling with cool, clear air. She dimly registered pulling herself up and out onto a cold, hard surface before blacking out. 

* * *

“Twilight? Twilight!”

Twilight groaned, her muscles aching tremendously and a prickly feeling traveling up her spine. 

“Twilight wake up! Please!”

“...Spike? That you?”

“Yeah, it’s me! Please get up Twilight…”

Twilight slowly began to open her eyes, her vision blurred. “You weren’t supposed to...uggghhhh…”

“I-I know, but I couldn’t let you go alone...you were out for a little bit, do you feel okay?”

“Give me a moment and I think I’ll be fine. Help me get on my back? 

“Okay…” Twilight felt Spike gently pushing her shoulder, flipping her onto her back. Colors swam above her, blue and pink and green.

“Where are we?” She asked tiredly, her voice echoing slightly. “Everything is fuzzy...some sort of cave?”

“Uh yeah, I think so.” A darker green blur turned to the side - must be Spike’s head plates. “The portal we came through is on the ground off to your left, it’s like a swirly little pond. There’s also a bunch of glowy crystals everywhere, and off to the right there’s some bright light far away - I think that’s the cave opening. I don’t want to leave you to go look though.” 

“Oh.”

Twilight was silent for a moment, listening to hers and Spike’s breathing. 

“I know I shouldn’t have followed you,” Spike said suddenly. “But please don’t send me back? I don’t want to leave you here…”

“Spike…” Twilight took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I’m not mad at you, and I won’t send you back.”

“You won’t?”

“I won’t. To be honest I’m glad you came, it’s nice not to be alone.”

Even if she couldn’t see it, she thought Spike might be smiling. 

“Hey, did my bags come through alright?”

“Mmhm, they’re right here.” She heard Spike pat the bags. “Nothing got lost. Do you need something? A blanket?”

“Maybe? This stone floor is kind of cold,” Twilight said. “Like, I can feel the cold seeping right into my body. It’s weird.”

“I...guess that makes sense.”

“Why?”

Spike was silent. 

“Spike? Is something wrong?”

“How’s your vision?”

Twilight opened her eyes. “A little better. I can sort of see the crystals above me now, I think my eyes are just adjusting to the low light level. And my head feels better...help me sit up?

Spike held her front leg while she propped herself up on his shoulder. He was still kind of a blurry green and tan blob. Tan?

“Spike, is something wrong with your scales?”

“It’s...a bit more than that.”

Twilight blinked a few times, and Spike finally came into focus. 

“What in Equestria?!”

“...I don’t think that’s applicable anymore.”

* * *

“Please stop screaming,” said Spike, holding his weird paws to the sides of his head. 

“What happened to you?!” Cried Twilight. “You look like some sort of furless monkey!” 

“You don’t look that much different!”

“WHAT?!”

Twilight looked down and saw two furless brown legs ending in the same weird monkey paws as Spike’s, though Spike was a lighter color than her. 

“AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

Twilight flailed her limbs and pulled them into herself, wrapping them around a - flimsy lavender bodice? She glanced downwards. She appeared to be wearing a thin purple garment resembling a nightgown, with a delicate flowing skirt that reached down to her fur-less brown knees. She didn’t even want to look at her back hooves-or well, not hooves. They were the same shade of brown as the rest of her, but oddly enough she also had slippers on, in the same shade of purple as her skirt. 

“Wh-when did I put on this dress?”

Spike shrugged. “You were wearing it when I first saw you after getting out of the portal, and I was wearing this.”

He gestured to the purple shirt and pants on his own body. Like Twilight, he had purple slippers on his feet. 

Twilight shuddered. “Did someone enchant us when we came through the portal?”

Spike shook his head. “I was awake when we came through and you blacked out,” he said. “I didn’t notice anything off until I saw you, then I took a look at myself in the portal pool.”

Twilight followed his pointer claw (finger? Monkeys had fingers right?) to a shimmering pool of water - or what looked sort of like water. If water glowed like it was the victim of a Pinkie Pie glitter tornado and swirled around ominously. It was reflective though, and Twilight pulled herself to the edge, then immediately had to try to hold back another scream.

Her face was distorted in the strangest way. Her fur was completely gone, and her muzzle shortened considerably, similar to Spike’s. Her skin was a medium brown tone, gently colored by the luminescent blue and pink crystals around them. Her ears were on the side of her head instead of on top, like Spike’s, and were rounded instead of pointy. Her mane at least looked familiar, long and straight and the proper indigo tone with purple and pink streaks. Except there was something missing…

“My horn! Where’s my horn?!”

Spike grimaced. “I was worried about when you’d notice that.” 

“Spike, I can’t do magic without my horn!”

He nodded and bit his lip. “I can’t breathe fire anymore either. It’s awful…”

Twilight put her face in her paws, then quickly withdrew them, not wanting to look at them and their weird spidery finger-claw things. 

“What _are_ we?”

“I have no idea,” Spike said, “but it looks like we’re the same kind of...uh, animal? That’s different too.” 

“I don’t like this at all,” Twilight said forlornly. “No muzzle, no magic, no fur, weird monkey paws instead of hooves? What kind of creature would be like this?”

“Uh, you also don’t have wings or a tail anymore.”

“WHAT?!” Twilight twisted around to look at her back. No wings. No tail.

“This just keeps getting better and better,” she sighed. “Why aren’t you more freaked out?”

“I kind of did all my freaking out while you were unconscious,” Spike answered. “Being a furless monkey doesn’t feel all that different from being a dragon though.” He flexed his hand experimentally. “These paws are kind of like my claws, only there are five claws instead of four.”

“Fingers,” Twilight said. “Monkeys have fingers. And uh, I think Fluttershy once told me monkey paws are called hands?”

“Oh, then yeah. Hands. The mane is new though,” Spike said, running a hand through the green mop on his head, “And it’s strange not to have a tail, or scales. I feel all squishy and exposed.”

“Same,” Twilight said. “At least we can still talk? Monkeys in Equestria don’t talk.”

“They don’t wear clothes either,” Spike pointed out. “Although it kinda makes sense to have clothes if you don’t have fur?”

“I...guess so,” said Twilight.

She bit her lip and extended her front leg...arm? Outwards, uncurling her fingers and wiggling them slightly.”

“You okay?”

Twilight shook her head. “It looks and feels so _wrong_ , Spike. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just unnatural.”

Spike tilted his head to the side, contemplating. “I mean, don’t get me wrong you do look really weird compared to normal,” he said, “And I can’t imagine how it must feel to have cla-um, _fingers_ , after being used to having hooves. But look.” He took Twilight’s hand and placed it against his own, the fingers lining up together, though Twilight’s hand was larger and darker. “We’re the same now. Like brother and sister. And-” he threaded his fingers between Twilight’s and squeezed her hand gently, the warmth seeping into her cold skin. “I can do this. We couldn’t do that before.”

Twilight found herself calming a little despite the situation. “You’ve got a point there, I guess.” Spike smiled, and though it was strange to see it on his new face, it was still very much her little dragon. 

“We should probably get out of here,” she said after another moment.

“Mmhm.”

Twilight tried to stand up on her four legs, though her back legs were so long that she was only able to put her knees on the ground. It was a bizarre feeling. “Help me get the saddlebags? I can’t levitate them.”

“Uh…” Spike looked her over curiously.

“What?”

“Well, you’re not a pony anymore, I don’t think walking like that is a good idea?”

“What do you mean?” Twilight tried walking around in a circle. Her knees dragged on the skirt of her newly acquired dress, and the stone floor, though smooth, was hard and uncomfortable on her soft hands. “Ow. Okay, point taken. But how else am I supposed to get around?”

“Like this,” Spike said, standing up on his hind legs and ambling around the cave briskly. “I walk like this all the time as a dragon. Looks like furless monkeys do too.”

“Oooookay,” Twilight said hesitantly. “So I guess we’re also bipedal monkeys.” 

“Guess so. You need help getting up?”

“ _Please_.”

Twilight took Spike’s outstretched hand and put her other hand on the cave wall, using both to push herself upwards onto her hind legs, her slippers flat on the ground. She felt her knees knock together uncomfortably. 

“You gotta straighten your legs, Twilight.”

“Hey give me a break, I just got up.” 

She did manage to do as told however. 

“Okay, now lean on my shoulder and take a step forward.”

Twilight gingerly lifted a leg, bracing herself on both the cave wall and Spike, and took a tiny step forward, wobbling violently. 

“Hey, you did it!” Twilight gave Spike a shaky smile. 

They continued the exercise around the cave a few times, until Twilight didn’t have to use the wall as a second balance. She had to admit, this _was_ better than walking on her hands and knees, even if she had to lean on Spike the whole time. 

“Okay,” she said. “I think I’m ready to get out of here.”

Spike nodded, then paused. “So who’s gonna carry the bags?”

It took a few more tries for Twilight to get the hang of walking with a weight on her back. But they managed, and with each carrying one bag and holding hands, they set off towards the light of the outdoors. 

“Spike?” Twilight said, legs wobbling only slightly as they slowly progressed.

“Yeah?”

“I’m really glad you’re here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: a horse hoof is kind of analogous to a single finger. So Twilight is having a...very hard time adjusting to having five of them. Spike isn't though, since he's used to having hands. 
> 
> Twilight doesn't have purple skin because this version of the human world runs on anime-hair rules instead of the Amazing Technicolor Population trope (read more on TV Tropes). I understand that there are a whole host of implications for "assigning races" to characters that were not originally written with specific racial identities in mind, but I personally feel like outright ignoring the existence of human skin tone diversity is...kind of lazy writing to "avoid" racist tropes. Maybe Amazing Technicolor Population has its place, but for the purposes of this story all humans will have human skin tones and anime hair. 
> 
> In this version, Twilight (and by association Shining Armor, though he isn't in this story), is of Indian descent, has medium-brown skin, and stands about 5'6". Spike is Caucasian with light but not pale skin and is about 4'11". It won't be mentioned outright since race doesn't have a significant impact on the plot, but I'll keep up the notes to fill you in if anyone's curious. 
> 
> Spike isn't a dog because I feel like I have more freedom with his character if he's not a human. I'll just have to deal with the plot consequences.


	4. The School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twilight and Spike discover the new setting I made specifically for this retelling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bear with me on the names, please.

Twilight pushed away the vines covering the cave entrance and blinked in the slightly brighter light. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see that they were in some sort of forested land, the grass soft under her slippers and the blue of the sky crisp and clear. The trees were still mostly green, but Twilight could see vibrant reds and oranges here and there. It must be just turning to fall in this world too. The sun peeked over the canopy in the distance, causing the tops of the trees to glow ever so slightly. 

“It’s not very light out,” Spike noted. “Guess it’s still early in the morning.”

“Probably,” Twilight sighed. “We did get up in the middle of the night.”

“Mmhm. So. Where do you think Sunset Shimmer could have gone?”

Twilight scanned the area. Nothing but trees and vine covered rocks as far as she could see, no conspicuous prints either. Suddenly she noticed something.

“Over there, see how that tall brush looks like someone recently pushed it aside?”

“Oh yeah!”

Spike kept supporting Twilight’s side as they made their way over to the brush. They emerged on the other side into a field of some sort, the forest around them much more sparse. A dirt path trailed through the forest, but Twilight could see a building of some sort at the end of it. 

“Spike, over there! Maybe there’s someone who can help us in that castle!” She started towards the path, taking her weight off Spike’s shoulder without thinking, and at that moment had the misfortune of catching her foot on a small root and tumbling face first into the dirt.

“Twilight!”

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Twilight sat up and brushed off her dress. She sighed in frustration. “It’s not as bad as learning to fly, all things considered. At least I’ve had legs before.”

Spike frowned. “You sure you can make it all the way to that...castle thingy over there?”

“I...hmm.” Twilight considered it. It was probably not sustainable for Spike to basically carry her the whole way. But then...ah!

“Get that for me? Twilight asked, pointing to a large stick a little ways away. Spike complied. Mustering up all her strength, Twilight dug the stick into the ground and used it to push herself back onto her feet. 

“Hey, nice!”

Twilight smiled shakily. “I think I still need you to stay on my other side,” she admitted. “But yeah, this definitely helps.”

Spike nodded. “If you need to take a break, just say so.”

“Thanks Spike.” Twilight glanced down the path towards the castle. “Hopefully the ruler there has a nice couch to collapse on.” 

“It’s pretty big, isn’t it?” Spike noted as they got closer. Twilight nodded. The building was tall and a light reddish brown, with rows of arched windows and spires down each side. But it was more rectangular than the castle at Canterlot, and lacked the tall towers and spires. There was a clock tower however, and Twilight was surprised to note that it had Equestrian numerals on it. 

They found themselves standing on a circular stone path around a large courtyard, with neatly clipped grass and pruned hedges lining the outside. A fountain stood in the center, and off to one side was a tall flagpole with a pink and cream flag hanging down from the top. Twilight couldn’t see what was on it though - there was no wind. 

“Kind of empty here, huh?” Spike commented. Twilight shrugged. 

“It’s still early morning, maybe no one’s woken up yet.” She glanced around. “There are more buildings similar to this one over there, but smaller. Maybe they’re all part of the same palace?” 

“Could be, but look,” Spike said, pointing off into the distance. A varied skyline crossed the horizon, buildings of various shapes and sizes. “We’re in the middle of a town.”

Before Twilight could comment, the clock struck the hour, and its deep chimes rang out across the courtyard. Both Twilight and Spike winced until it finished, the vibrations fading away into the air. 

“Well,” said Spike, “They must be awake now.”

A chattering of noise suddenly rose up, and Twilight and Spike barely had time to duck behind a hedge before a sea of monkey-like creatures poured out of the various doors of the castle. 

“Whoa…” Spike breathed. “Twilight, they look kind of like us!”

Twilight nodded, biting her lip nervously. The creatures looked to be casually traveling all around the courtyard, meeting others, having conversations, and disappearing into different doorways all over the palace. Some even went towards the other buildings. 

And they were all very different. Each creature’s skin was some sort of shade of tan or brown, instead of the full spectrum of fur tones back in Equestria. Their manes were different lengths and colors, some curly, some straight. And they all wore clothes, bright colored and patterned in every possible way. Most carried a bag of some sort on their shoulders or back, and some held books in their hands. 

She tilted her head curiously. “I...are they speaking  _ Ponish _ ?”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Well that’s convenient, huh? Should we introduce ourselves?” 

“I don’t know if-”

“Um, Miss?”

Twilight yelped and would have jumped clear over the hedge, were it not for Spike grabbing her arm and steadying her. Looking up, she saw one of the creatures staring down at her, a confused looking expression on their face. A male? Female? Twilight’s mind scrambled for something to say.

“Heeeelloooo?” 

Next to her, Spike put his face in his hand. 

“Um, hi.” The creature’s voice was deep, like that of a stallion’s. Male then? They-he? Was very tall, and wore a black jacket with red and white stripes over a white shirt with a blue and yellow insignia on it. He gave Twilight and Spike a once over, seeming concerned. “Are you...alright? You and your little brother look kind of lost.”

“Uhhhhhhh…”

“Yeah, we are!” Spike piped up, saving Twilight from having to attempt to say anything coherent. “Me and my uh,  _ sister _ are looking for the ruler of this palace, could you direct us to them please?”

“Ruler?” The creature frowned, running a hand through his short blue mane. “You mean the dean? Or the college president?”

“Y-yeah, whoever’s in charge,” Stammered Twilight. 

“Well, I have to get to class pretty soon,” the creature said, “But I can point you towards the main office. See that door over there? You’ll want to go down the hallway, take the first left, then go past the lecture halls and pass three doors before you reach the reception desk on your right, room R118.”

Twilight felt her nerves relax a little. Picking up her walking stick, she brought herself to her feet. “It’s that simple?”

Her helper nodded. “It might be a bit difficult to see the president if you don’t have an appointment,” he said, “but they should be able to figure your situation out. Are you doing a campus visit?”

“Um, yes!” said Twilight quickly. “A campus visit!” 

“That’s cool,” he said. “We don’t get a ton of out of towners here in Pauniville. Pretty small place. But hey, if you need anything else, ask around the music hall for Flash. Flash Sentry.”

Twilight nodded gratefully. She was about to turn to go when she remembered her manners. “Oh! Thanks so much, uh, Flash!”

“Don’t mention it,” said Flash, grinning. “And you two are?”

“Oh right. Um.” Twilight’s head was spinning again. The constantly moving colors around her weren’t helping. 

“I’m Spike, and she’s Twilight Sparkle,” Spike said, holding a hand out. Flash took it and shook genially, then shook Twilight’s hand too. Twilight supposed that shaking forelimbs was a universal gesture of greeting. 

“Pleased to meet you both. Okay, I gotta go, see you around!”

“He didn’t want to be late for  _ class _ ,” commented Spike as they watched Flash stroll towards one of the other buildings. Twilight nodded, turning towards the doorway Flash had pointed out. A sign above it displayed the words: WELCOME TO PAUNIVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. 

“This isn’t a palace. It’s a  _ school _ .” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we introduce our setting: Pauniville Community College. A small school, flexible majors, decent teachers, and a lot of potential for a "maaaagical princess from another dimension!" to hide out in. 
> 
> Note that Pauniville is the town around the college, while PCC is the school itself. By way of explanation, the dimensional rift that Star Swirl isolated in the mirror was originally in the Forbidden Forest. 
> 
> I found out while doing Wiki Research for this that Flash's voice actor is Vincent Tong, who Flash appears to be somewhat modeled off of. So Flash is of Chinese descent. (Junior, 21 years old, music major).


	5. The Professor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twilight encounters someone familiar...

“He said the fourth door on the right?”

“I’m pretty sure it was the third door on the left,” Spike said. “Or maybe fifth?”

“Arrgh,” Twilight slammed her forehead against the wall. “Okay, so we forgot the instructions. Let’s just pick a door and see what’s behind it.” 

Spike shrugged. “Guess we don’t have much to lose.” He walked up to the nearest door. “R108. That’s what he said right?”

“Does it matter at this point?” Twilight sighed. “Let’s just hope whoever’s in there will be as willing to help as Flash was.”

She pushed the door open, and suddenly a sea of eyes was on both of them. The room was sort of like a theatre, with several rows of seats around a stage where one of the creatures - the teacher most likely, stood in front of a large white board with an unfinished diagram on it.

“Um. Hi.” Twilight said to the class.

“Hello.” It was the teacher, their voice a feminine tone. Twilight felt like their-her? eyes were boring straight through her. “Take a seat, class has already begun.”

“Oh no I, uh,”

“Take a seat. The young one can listen in if he so desires.”

Feeling trapped, Twilight and Spike took seats in the back row. 

“She’s a little intimidating,” murmured Spike.

 _And familiar_ , thought Twilight. She stared at the teacher, trying to figure out what it was that had sparked that feeling. The teacher’s mane had been woven into many long braids of varying shades of gray. Was she an elder then? Her skin was significantly darker than Twilight’s, and she wore golden rings in her ears as well as a pair of glasses with semicircle lenses. 

“Now,” she said after completing the diagram on the board. Twilight startled in recognition. It was clearly a molecular structure, one that she was familiar with. “Can anyone tell me what a carbide is?”

Several students raised their forelimbs. The teacher pointed to one with a bright orange mane. “Miss Orange Spritz?”

“A carbide is a binary compound of carbon and another element that’s less electronegative than carbon,” said the student. The teacher nodded.

“And can you tell me what carbide I have just drawn on the board?”

“Umm…” Orange Spritz squinted, glancing down at her notebook. “It has a weird binding structure... Oh! It’s aluminum carbide!”

The teacher nodded approvingly. “Very good.”

Orange Spritz grinned. “Thanks, Professor Zecora,” she said brightly. 

Twilight and Spike’s mouths fell open as they glanced at each other. _Zecora?!_

“Aluminum carbide is known for its unusual crystal structure,” the teacher- _Zecora,_ continued. “And is created through direct reaction of aluminum and carbon in an electric arc furnace. It also will form if molten aluminum comes into contact with silicon carbide. This reaction frequently decreases the strength of the material overall. For a bonus five points of extra credit, can anyone tell me how you might reduce this effect?”

The room was completely silent, and not a forelimb was raised. Twilight couldn’t help herself, and raised her own right limb. Zecora tilted her head curiously. “Yes?”

“The weakening effect comes from the formation of aluminum carbide on the silicon carbide particles,” Twilight said. “To mitigate it you would coat the silicon carbide particles with an oxide or nitride, or pre-oxidize it so that it forms a protective layer of silica.”

“Correct,” Zecora said. The class murmured appreciatively, much to Twilight’s satisfaction. “May I ask your name, young miss?”

“Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight. Zecora raised an eyebrow. 

“Is that so?” 

Twilight suddenly felt very nervous. “Uh, yep.” Did she know something Twilight didn’t?

After a long moment, Zecora turned back to the board and Twilight exhaled in relief. 

“That’s not actually Zecora, is it?” Spike whispered under his breath. “She doesn’t rhyme.”

“I think she _is_ Zecora,” Twilight hissed back, “Just not the one we know.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “But if there’s another Zecora in this world,” he whispered, “Is there another Twilight and Spike, too?”

Twilight had no idea what to say to that. 

The clock tower sounded once more and the students began to spill out the door. Twilight sighed in relief, having felt the other Zecora’s eyes on her at several points throughout the lesson, as if she was being scrutinized. They’d get someone else to help them find the office, she thought, and nudged a sleeping Spike awake. Just as she had gotten up to leave however, the other Zecora called out to her.

“Miss Sparkle? Might I have a word with you?”

Twilight’s blood ran cold. “Uh. Sure?” She cautiously approached Zecora, who was sifting through a stack of papers on a table and looking at a strange metal rectangle that looked like it was glowing. Spike followed close behind, holding onto part of Twilight’s bodice. 

When the last of the students had filed out of the room, Zecora slipped her glasses off her face and set them on the table, leaning against it casually. 

“You wanted something?” Twilight asked. “Er, ma’am?”

“You said your name is Twilight Sparkle.” 

Twilight blinked in confusion. “Uh. Yep.”

Zecora stared at her, and it was even more unsettling now that no one else was in the room. 

“Twilight Sparkle,” said Zecora, “Is a nineteen year old student at the University of Canterlot, a day’s travel from here. I’m not sure why she would choose to suddenly appear here at Pauniville without any notice.”

Twilight was starting to feel boxed in. “Um. Well I’m definitely not that Twilight. I guess our parents have similar taste in names?”

“That’s what I would have thought,” Zecora said, “Were it not for this.”

She picked up the metal rectangle and turned its surface towards Twilight. A picture was displayed on it of a creature that looked exactly like Twilight, except this one had a pair of black glasses on her face and her mane was pulled back in a tight bun. Behind her was a taller figure with skin a slightly lighter brown than Zecora’s and a flowing pink and red mane. A caption at the bottom of the picture read: _Talented Teen Wins All Expenses Paid Scholarship to Canterlot University_. Twilight and Spike recoiled.

“Uh. That’s…”

“That girl is you.” Zecora said. “Except...you’re not her.” 

“I...I really think you must be mistaken,” Twilight said hurriedly. “There must be lots of uh, lots of individuals who look like that. I don’t even wear glasses!”

“The stripes in your hair are identical.”

“I-I’m a natural pink,” Twilight said, feeling her face warm. “I guess I just happened to pick a similar shade of dye to her ma-hair?”

Zecora raised an eyebrow. 

“Well, it’s been really nice meeting you,” Twilight lied, “But my, um, little brother and I should really be going.”

Zecora didn’t look at all convinced. But instead of insisting they stay, she sighed and sat down at the table, turning to a stack of papers. After seeing that she wasn’t going to hold them prisoner, Twilight and Spike dashed for the exit. 

“One more thing,” she said, and Twilight felt herself halting despite herself. Spike turned around in the hallway, looking incredulously at her. 

“If you find yourself more willing to be honest with me, I’ll be here until seven in the evening.”

Twilight nodded without looking back, and the door swung shut with a click. 

“Well,” she said to Spike as students swarmed around the halls. “That was horrible.”

Spike nodded enthusiastically. “We should probably avoid Zecora for now huh?”

“Yeaaaah.” Twilight put a hand to her head and groaned. “I can’t believe there’s another me here.”

“Well, not _here_ here, Spike pointed out. “Flash said we’re in Pauniville, and the other you is in Canterlot right? We probably won’t see her.”

“Thank goodness,” Twilight groaned. “Come on, let’s hurry up and find that office.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's (Human) Zecora as a chemistry professor! 
> 
> Zecora in this universe is Black, specifically Ethiopian/East African. Now...Zecora's depiction in canon is...uh, not great. And the more recent reveal of comic canon Zecora's backstory doesn't strike me as very well thought out either. She was originally supposed to be named Shaman (big red flag there), and the name Zecora is supposedly a now outdated Oromo term for Zebra, while the name Farasi for her homeland is straight up just "Horse" in Swahili. Not "Horse Land," or "Horse Kingdom," just...Horse. (her name and her backstory in this universe is a little different, but we'll get into that later). It's like they just spent two minutes deciding on major parts of her character using outdated tropes associated with "mystical" African coded characters. And do NOT get me started on the EQG doll of her (it haunts my nightmares). 
> 
> In this story Zecora has a pretty significant role because I think her position as a knowledgeable character that already exists in canon and has an established relationship with Twilight is compelling, and I'm really gonna try my best to avoid some of the...insensitive tropes she's been associated with. 
> 
> I can't science that bit was just ripped off of Wikipedia and it works well enough for the given scenario.


	6. The Dean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twilight asserts herself as the protagonist of the story.

She started back down the hall, with Spike in tow. The rush of students began to thin out, until only a few were still wandering around. 

As Twilight and Spike approached a corner, the words of a hushed conversation floated back to them. Though she wasn’t one to eavesdrop, Twilight slowed down to listen, leaning on her stick. 

“Sweetheart, you really shouldn’t be extending yourself like this, you know that, right?” said a sugary sweet voice. 

“W-well, I just wanted to put up some flyers for the animal shelter, Ma’am,” a small, soft voice answered back. “We’re always in need of more volunteers…” Twilight couldn’t help but think it sounded exactly like Fluttershy. Except Fluttershy was back in the Crystal Empire…

“Oh I know darling,” the sugary voice replied, “You’re quite the little bleeding-heart aren’t you? Always wanting to tug at the consciences of those around you?”

“I-I wouldn’t say-”

“Oh sweetie, I’m not mad. Far from it.” Twilight and Spike peeked around the corner to see the back of someone tall with a red and yellow ponytail, towering over a pink-haired student holding a stack of paper flyers. 

“It’s just a bit...obstructive of the football team advertisements,” said the tall figure in that sugary sweet voice. Twilight thought she could hear something cold and sharp in it. “We really can’t have that, alright honey?”

“I...I can put them somewhere else?”

The tall figure seemed to snap. “Oh come on you little brat, use your brain for once!” They prodded a sharp finger at the student’s chest. “There’s no room on the board for your stupid charity act, no room on these walls for anything that could detract from the carefully curated wall of notices I’ve designed. Everything has a purpose on it, except for you.”

“I-I just thought-”

“Thought what? That someone would care about your useless cause? I know your only friends are animals, child, but that seems like a stretch even for your sorry excuse of a head.”

Tears pooled in the student’s eyes and she drew her long curtain of hair over them, quivering. Rage flooded into Twilight’s senses and she stepped out from the corner. 

“You can’t talk to her like that!”

The tall figure whipped around to face her, face fixed in an incredulous glare. 

“And who might you be?”

“I...It doesn’t matter!” Twilight said angrily. “You’re upsetting her, stop it!”

Her opponent scoffed. “She can take a little heat. And if not, she doesn’t deserve to be here at my school.”

“Your school?” Spike asked from behind Twilight. 

“Oh, you must be new.” The bully looked bored, taking a moment to stare at the tips of her fingers, which were painted a bright red. “Listen carefully then, because I won’t repeat myself. Here, my rules are law. What I say goes, what I want to happen will happen, and whatever I don’t like, doesn’t get to exist.”

She glared at Twilight. “You would do well to remember this. People don’t like my reminders.” She spat out the last sentence, shoving past Twilight and Spike and strutting imperiously away, the click click of her heels on the floor echoing down the hall. 

“What a meanie,” Spike muttered. Twilight made a noise of agreement, then turned to the pink-haired student, who was staring at her in shock. 

“Are you okay?” asked Twilight. The student nodded hesitantly, then bent down and began to collect the flyers she’d dropped. Twilight and Spike quickly went to help.

“Oh, thank you,” she said softly.

“No problem,” said Spike.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” the girl murmured, standing back up.

“I couldn’t just let her treat you that way,” Twilight insisted, nearly losing her grip on her stick when she tried to gesture. “She was awful!”

“She’s always like that,” the girl muttered. “But no one’s ever dared to talk back to Dean Shimmer for as long as I’ve ever known!”

“Dean Shimmer?!” Twilight’s eyes went wide. 

“Uh, her full name wouldn’t happen to be _ Sunset _ Shimmer by any chance?” Spike asked, glancing at Twilight.

“Um, yes,” said the girl. “Why? Did you need to talk to her about something? She did say you were new.”

“Oh, I’m not a student,” Twilight said. “I’m just uh…” she glanced at Spike, who shrugged. “Taking a tour?”

“Oh. Okay.” The girl looked away, shuffling her feet to the side.

“I’m Twilight by the way,” Twilight added. “And this is Spike.” Spike waved. 

The girl mumbled something in response. 

“Uh, sorry, I didn’t catch that?”

“Fluttershy! I’m...F-Flutter...shy.”

Twilight and Spike stared, causing Fluttershy to curl into herself. 

“Um...sorry?”

“Oh. Oh no! Nononononono you didn’t do anything wrong,” exclaimed Twilight hastily. “We were just surprised, you kind of uh, remind us of someone we know.”

Fluttershy looked confused for a moment, then sighed. “Well, thank you for...helping. I’d like to return the favor if I can, but there’s not much I can offer.” 

“Actually,” Twilight said, “If you’re not busy right now we could use some information.”

“Hm?”

Twilight glanced at Spike. “You see, uh...we…” She sighed and bit her lip. “Um, what do you know about Sunset Shimmer?”

“Not a lot,” Fluttershy shrugged. “I do know that she went here as a student, and was really smart...or something.” She scrunched up her nose in concentration, as if trying to recall something. “She was the Dean of Students already when I first came here three years ago, and I think she’s had that position for at least...seven or eight years?”

“What does she do as Dean?” inquired Twilight. “Does she control the entire school?”

“Oh no, the president of the school is Ms. Mare,” Fluttershy said. “But Dean Shimmer is in charge of anything to do with students that doesn’t have to do with the classroom. And she’s very picky about what’s good for us and what...isn’t.” 

Twilight frowned. “And she just gets away with treating students like...like she treated you? That’s horrible!”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s just how it is. She doesn’t treat everyone like that though, just the students that she...well, doesn’t like.” Fluttershy’s face scrunched up. “You should see some of the people she  _ does _ like.” She shuddered. 

“Yikes,” Spike said with a grimace. Fluttershy nodded. 

“Thanks Fluttershy, really that’s a big help,” Twilight said warmly. Fluttershy gave her a small smile. 

“I’m glad we could help each other,” she said softly. “Maybe I’ll see you around?” Her voice was tiny and hopeful. 

“...Sure! Yeah! See you around,” Twilight waved as Fluttershy walked away. 

“You didn’t ask about the crown,” Spike said curiously when she was gone. 

“Sunset Shimmer wasn’t wearing it, I figured she probably has it hidden away somewhere,” Twilight said. “I doubt she would tell anyone about it, and I don’t really think it’s a good idea to let anyone else know what we’re looking for.”

“Point taken,” Spike conceded. “But we don’t really have any more information on where it might be.”

“No, I suppose not...oh shoot, I should have asked her where Sunset Shimmer might be going!” Twilight slumped to the ground, the walking stick bonking against her forehead. “Ow.”

“Well, if she’s so important I bet we can just ask someone else where she is,” said Spike. “I still can’t believe someone like that was put in charge of anything here.”

“Regardless of how she got it, it’s clear she has a lot of power here,” Twilight said. “We should be careful what we say.” Spike nodded and made a zipped lips motion with his fingers. 

“Let’s look around some of the other buildings,” he suggested. “Maybe we can learn more about how things work around here.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have a pretty major change - Sunset Shimmer is a dean, not a student. Mostly because I really don't want to deal with the timey wimey shenanigans of Sunset having been a grown mare when she left Equestria but the same age as Twilight years later. But also because now the theme revolves less around "defeat the popular mean girl" and more around "rebelling against a corrupt authority." 
> 
> Sunset Shimmer as a human is of Scandinavian descent and is fairly pale, standing at about 5'11". Human Fluttershy is of Iranian descent and has medium-light skin (yes this is common), standing at about 5'6". She's a 22 year old senior and veterinarian studies major.


	7. The Alternates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twilight has an obligatory meet the cast montage.

Twilight and Spike were making their way down another long hallway - seriously how much of this place was just hallways? When suddenly a door flew open in front of their faces with a resounding CRACK and an explosion of white powder and pieces of something pink that just barely missed Twilight’s face, splattering all over the floor and walls and even ceiling.

“What in the-”

“MISS PIE!”

“I GOOOOOT IIIIIIT!” Cried a shrill voice. A student with poofy raspberry curls burst out of the doorway and slammed it shut, their face covered in the powder and pink and yellow globs. They were wielding a large broom and dustpan. As Spike and Twilight looked on in shock, the student hopped over to the far side of the hallway, dragging her finger along the wall and licking off the goo. 

“Hmmmmm,” she said pensively. “Guess I used too much baking powder again. Oh, new humans I’ve never seen before! You want some wall cake?”

“Uh, we’re good,” said a stunned Spike. “Is this the school kitchens then?”

“Nope, culinary arts class,” said the girl as she methodically brushed the cake off the walls in a practiced motion. Little puffs of powder, probably flour, rose up as she did. “If you’re looking for the dining hall, it’s thataway,” she motioned with her foot. “New students?” she stopped to scrutinize Spike, who smiled awkwardly. “Ya look kinda young for college, kiddo.” 

“He’s my little brother,” Twilight said. “I’m here to check out the school and see if I want to enroll, and I’m looking after him for the day.”

“Ohhhhh, okay!” the girl returned to scraping cake off the floor. 

“You’re...Pinkie Pie?”

The girl gasped, jumping up and getting uncomfortably close to Twilight’s face. “Are you PSYCHIC?”

“Uh...” Twilight said hesitantly. “Is that kind of thing normal?”

“Eh, not usually,” said Pinkie, withdrawing and tapping the edge of her chin with the frosting covered broom handle. She stared at Twilight for a moment. “Yknow, you said you were new, but I can’t help feeling like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

Twilight giggled nervously. “Probably just someone similar,” she said. “World’s a big place and all that.”

Pinkie Pie smiled. “Got that right! Well it was nice meeting you, new friends!” She vanished into the classroom, though there were still streaks of frosting on the floor. 

“Uh,” Twilight said numbly. “Same.”

At that moment, she heard a rumbling sound. Glancing around in fear, she soon realized it came from Spike.

“Hungry?”

“Mmhm…”

Twilight reached into the bag on Spike’s back and pulled out a hay sandwich wrapped in cloth. “...Oh. Hmm.”

Spike frowned. “Maybe there’s something I could eat in that dining hall Pinkie Pie mentioned?”

“Worth a shot.” 

* * *

The dining hall was a large tiled room with several tables, chairs, and a row of booths selling a variety of food items, with a few students congregating in small groups around the room. To Spike’s chagrin, none of them sold gemstones, but Twilight pointed out that now that he was a _human_ as Pinkie Pie had said, he might not be able to chew gems at all. 

“What a terrible world,” Spike muttered. “What’s life without the sweet taste of sapphires, the tantalizing tang of topaz?” 

“Come on, it isn’t so bad,” Twilight said. “Maybe we can get you a cookie over at that bakery stand.”

“Did you pack money though?” 

“...Okay, slight setback.”

Spike sighed. 

“Scuse me, comin through!”

A walking stack of crates pushed gently past Twilight and Spike, then set down next to the nearest food stall. The human who had been carrying them wiped a few beads of sweat off her brow, then turned back and hollered, “BIG MAAAAC! You got the rest of ‘em?”

“Eeyup,” said another walking stack of crates behind them. Twilight’s mouth hung open as a pale, orange haired human with a muscular body set down his stack of crates next to the yellow haired girl, who wore a distinctly familiar light brown stetson hat on her head. 

“Oh thank you dears,” Said the elderly human behind the food stall, whose sign bore the title _Cucumber Cress’ Fresh and Green Delights_. “It’s so nice of you both to help with the produce.”

“Aw shucks ma’am, it’s just what we Apples do,” said Applejack. “Why, even little Applebloom would be all over this if she wasn’t goin’ back-to-school shoppin’ with Granny. Ain’t that right Big Mac?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac then picked up a large can of what looked like vegetable scraps and left. 

Applejack suddenly turned and stared directly at Twilight, who hadn’t realized she was staring. “Can I help you missy?”

“I, uh-”

Twilight was interrupted by the sound of Spike’s stomach growling again, even louder this time. The former dragon had the good sense to look embarrassed as Applejack’s eyes widened. 

“Mrs. Cress!” she exclaimed. “We got a hungry young’un here, can you rustle up something good for a growin’ boy and put it on my tab?”

“Huh?” Spike blinked. “You don’t have to do that!”

Applejack grabbed his shoulder with one arm and Twilight’s with another, steering them towards a table. “I insist! Nobody goes hungry on an Apple’s watch.”

Twilight was bewildered. “I-I’m afraid I don’t have anything to pay you back with,” she said blankly. Applejack rolled her eyes. 

“You’ll pay me back with the enjoyment of a good meal,” she said sternly, looking at Spike. “My granny would have my hide if she knew I let a little one go without just because of a silly little thing like money.”

The elderly cook laid two trays in front of them, filled with what looked like pasta, a salad, and a hunk of bread, along with some utensils. She also set down two glasses and filled them with ice water from a pitcher. “There you go, dears,” she said, smiling. “Should I bring you something too, Applejack?”

“Just a cider would be fine ma’am,” Applejack said, tipping her hat in thanks as Spike dug into the meal with a hasty “Thank you!!” after Twilight nudged him. 

“So,” said Applejack after her cider had arrived, popping off the cap with her teeth. “What’s your story?”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight, staring at the fork and knife in bewilderment. “I’m uh, checking out the school. Spike here’s my little brother.”

Applejack smiled. “We got one too, little scamp called Applebloom. Ain’t so little anymore, but in my mind she’ll always be my baby sister.” She took a swig of cider. “She’s probably around the same age as you,” she said to Spike.

“I know,” Spike said through a mouthful of noodles. 

“...Come again?”

“Well, Applejack,” Twilight interjected quickly, pinching Spike under the table, “It’s very kind of you to give us a meal despite us being strangers and all.”

“Aw, shucks,” Applejack said. “Even strangers can be family after a shared meal, Miss Twilight. And we Apples take family very seriously. You need anything and all you need to do is holler for an Apple to hear.”

“You can just call me Twilight.” Twilight thought for a moment. “Actually Applejack, do you know where I can find uh...where Dean Shimmer works?”

“...Sure I do,” Applejack said, though Twilight noticed her grip tightened on the cider bottle. “But, uh, you wouldn’t happen to be one of her... _projects_ , would ya?.”

Twilight shook her head. “She uh...we thought there might be something important at her office. For school purposes.” Seeing Applejack’s suspicious expression, she quickly added, “I saw her for the first time earlier today, and I can’t say she really seemed to like me at all. Not that I want her to to like me but-”

Applejack sighed. “Alright, I believe ya. Sorry about that, but you can’t really trust anyone that Dean Shimmer considers a ‘ _valuable asset to the school’_.” she said in a hushed voice, punctuating her speech with air quotes.

“Uh, someone else told me more or less the same thing,” Twilight answered. “She doesn’t seem like the type of person who should be in charge.”

“You got that right,” Applejack muttered, setting down her cider. “But she’s the golden child of the college board, somethin’ about bein’ real special because she came from a rough background or what not. Between you and me, I wouldn’t trust that woman to watch a pet rock without exploiting it.” 

“But,” she added, leaning back and folding her arms. “You didn’t hear that from me. I got a family to think about, can’t have it getting out that I don’t agree with the Dean.”

Twilight nodded. “Can you direct us to her though? It’s kind of important.”

“Her office is near the dorms on the west side of campus. I’d take you there myself, but I’d rather avoid crossing the track field if I can.”

“Why’s that?”

Applejack’s face soured. “Let’s just say there’s someone who hangs around there that I don’t care to see.”

“Oh. Well thank you anyway,” Twilight gingerly stood up to leave, balancing on her stick. “Come on Spike.” 

Spike hurriedly gulped down the rest of his water and burped. “Excuse me!”

Applejack chuckled. “You’re excused.”

* * *

Outside, Spike patted his belly in satisfaction. “That was pretty good!”

“Mm, yeah,” Twilight said absentmindedly. 

“Something bothering you?”

She frowned. “I just wondered what kind of pony...er, person, could possibly upset Applejack to the point of avoiding walking around a field. Our Applejack doesn’t hold grudges like that as far as I know.” 

“I don’t know,” Spike shrugged. “But we’re here for the crown, not to wonder too much about alternate universe versions of our friends.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Twilight said as they reached the edge of the track field. 

“HEADS UP!” 

KATHUNK!

When the world stopped spinning, Twilight could see a worried Spike and an apologetic looking human with rainbow-striped hair standing over her, holding the offending object that had just been acquainted with Twilight’s head. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” said the girl, grabbing Twilight’s arm. Spike took her other arm, and they hoisted Twilight to her feet. Her walking stick was placed back into her right hand, and Twilight gripped it like a lifeline. She was getting kind of attached to this stick. And maybe just a little more used to fingers. Maybe.

“Are you okay Twilight?” asked Spike. 

“Yeah, I think so,” she muttered. “You should be more careful, Rainbow Dash.”

“I know, I’m really sor-hey, how’d you know my name?”

Twilight blinked. “Um.”

“Ohhhhh wait, no, I got it,” said Rainbow Dash, snapping her fingers like Spike did with his claws sometimes. “You wanted to try out for the team and someone told you the Captain would be here, right?”

“Uh...that’s you?”

Rainbow puffed out her chest proudly. “Track team, swim team, hockey, tennis, squash, you name it, I’ve done it. It’s my first season as captain of the track team though, pretty pumped for the meet against Cloudsdale!” She scratched her chin sheepishly. “Tryouts are actually closed this season, but I could slip you in as an apology for clocking you in the head? Not sure if you should run if you’re injured though,” she added, pointed to Twilight’s walking stick. 

“Uh, no, that’s alright,” Twilight said, slightly confused. “I’ll just wait until next time?”

“You’re a good sport,” Rainbow said approvingly. “I’ll still get the forms for you though, the ball did hit pretty hard.” she gestured to the black and white ball under her arm. “What’s your name?”

“Twilight Sparkle. And this is my brother, Spike. It’s uh, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Can I get your number?”

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Um...I’m twenty?”

Rainbow laughed and shook her head. “Your phone number, silly, so I can contact you about the forms.” She pulled a blue and black rectangle out from her pocket and waved it at Twilight. _That’s what phones look like here? It’s not even connected to a wall..._

“Oh, uh, my phone is at home,” Twilight said quickly. “And I uh, don’t have the number memorized.”

Rainbow clicked her tongue. “Ah well, happens to the best of us. I’ll give you mine instead.” She ran over to a blue bag sitting against a bench, pulled out a slip of paper and a pen and scribbled something down. “Here.”

“...Thanks,” said Twilight, tucking the paper into the bag on Spike’s back. 

“You wanna hang out a little?” asked Rainbow. “My crew won’t be here until two and I’m almost always doing laps or soccer drills on my own for a whole hour while I’m waiting.”

“Oh, uh that sounds great but maybe some other time?” Twilight said apologetically. “We should get going.”

“Aw, okay. See you around then!” Rainbow picked her ball back up and kicked it off into the distance, her rainbow striped ponytail trailing behind her as she ran after it. 

“I guess there’s a version of all our friends here,” Twilight murmured. Spike gasped, his eyes sparkling.

“Does that mean there’s also a Rarity? We haven’t met her yet!”

“Probably? I don’t know where she’d be though,” Twilight said. “We should keep heading to Sunset Shimmer’s office.” Spike looked like he might pout for a moment, then sighed and nodded. 

“Hey,” he said suddenly as they continued along the path. “Rainbow Dash said she would be the only one hanging around that field for a while right?”

“Yeah?”

“Was _she_ the one Applejack wanted to avoid?”

Twilight blinked and looked at Spike. “That can’t be right. Why would Applejack want to avoid Rainbow Dash? They’re friends.”

“Maybe in this world, they aren’t.”

Twilight frowned. She didn’t like to imagine a world where two of her closest friends weren’t, well, _friends_. “Maybe they just had an argument over who can be covered with bees the longest again, you know how they are.”

“I know how _our_ Applejack and Rainbow Dash are. Not these ones.”

“Hmm…”

As they approached the building Applejack had directed them to, Twilight couldn’t help but worry. 

_If Applejack and Rainbow Dash aren’t friends, what does that mean for everyone else?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pinkie Pie - Black, with dark brown skin. Junior, 21, culinary studies major. Stands at 5'5".
> 
> Applejack - Biracial (half Black, half German), with medium brown skin slightly lighter than Twilight but visibly tanned from working in the sun. Her mom has a curly mane so I figured she could conceivably be Black. Junior, 22, agricultural economics major. Stands at 6'0". 
> 
> Rainbow Dash - Korean, medium-light skin that's also tanned from playing sports in the sun a lot, though not to the same degree as AJ. Junior, 21, aviation major. Stands at 5'3".


End file.
